Clay and ‘civilisation’ – imperial ideas and colonial industry in Sydney, 1788–1823

Abstract

Sydney clay formed one of the earliest points of scientific interest in colonial New South Wales. Thanks to Josiah Wedgwood and Erasmus Darwin, it became associated with elite ideas surrounding the development of a European ‘civilisation’ in the new colony through skilled arts and manufacturing. By following the utilisation of this clay until 1823, this article traces how non-elites adopted these ideas. It uses a methodology focused on material culture that combines the practices and sources of history and historical archaeology. It contends that even non-elite colonists behaved as if ‘civilisation’ was created and maintained by the skilled manufacture and use of certain items such as pottery. This outlook and practice excluded Aboriginal people and culture from the colony from the outset.